


Baby, It's Cold Outside

by Huntress79



Category: Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Everyone Is Alive, F/M, Happy Ending, Implied Steve/Tony (background), Marriage Proposal, Not Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie) Compliant, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Not Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-13 19:02:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28658409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Huntress79/pseuds/Huntress79
Summary: After a tasking year that pushed them both to their limits (physically and mentally), Bucky and Nat take up Tony’s offer to spend the holidays at his family’s cabin in the Catskills - of course with their pets in tow. But will a certain question, paired with Mother Nature’s impeccable timing, turn it into something magical?
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Natasha Romanov
Comments: 8
Kudos: 18
Collections: BuckyNat Secret Santa 2020





	Baby, It's Cold Outside

**Author's Note:**

> written for Bucky/Nat Secret Santa and agent-ukelele, using one of three prompts. Canon Divergence after “The Winter Soldier”. Hope you like it!

*********************

“Meow!”

In her half-awake state, Natasha was tempted to call out her cat Liho for the rather rude awakening. But once her hand landed on the fur of the culprit, she couldn’t help but smile.

“What’s up, Alpine?” she asked the white Persian female while sitting up in bed. “Bucky’s scared you away?”

Of course, the cat couldn’t answer, except for snuggling even closer to Nat, who only then noticed Liho lying at her other side.

“Yep,” Bucky’s voice came from the doorway, “because otherwise, I might have made a fine mess out of this.”

‘This’ turned out to be a tray full of their favorite breakfast foods - pancakes, strawberry and maple syrup, butter, coffee, milk for both them and their cats, an assortment of fruits - and right on time, Natasha’s stomach began to rumble.

Setting the tray down on the bed, Bucky sat down next to her, stealing a kiss or two while doing so before handing Nat a second tray, hidden under the first one, and splitting up the goodies on his evenly between them.

“Gosh, I wish that could become a staple for us,” Natasha spoke up before stealing a slice of an apple.

“What? Having breakfast in bed?” Bucky asked, a soft smile playing at his lips.

“Yep, that and having time, just for us.” Nat leaned back at the headrest with a sigh. “To be honest, the only good thing of the past year was us, and our relationship.” Liho took advantage and plopped down in Nat’s lap. “And I don’t think I can take any more hits in the future.”

Bucky only nodded. The past months were tasking, not only to them, but to everyone somehow related to the Avengers. Close calls were a common occurence, and within a few weeks, they almost lost Steve, Tony, Peter and Clint, not to mention two severe injuries for both Nat and Scott. As a result of it all, Steve stepped down as Captain America, handing the shield over to Sam, before retreating to the “Lake Mansion” (as they all called it due to its size) Tony owned in Upstate New York, not too far away from the Avengers HQ, along with a recovering billionaire.

“You think about retiring, too?” Bucky finally asked.

“Yeah,” Nat replied, her hand wandering towards the side of her body where she was impaled by a large steel beam only a few months ago. “And to be honest,” she looked up and locked gazes with Bucky, “I would love you to retire with me. Sure, the kids could use a good tutor now and then, but that doesn’t mean we should go back into the field. Besides,” she took a steadying breath, “I don’t think I could handle losing you, again. Not now, not ever.”

“You won’t lose me,” Bucky was quick to reassure her. As far as he knew, it was even possible for him to survive her, due to the serum. And that thought was an alley in his mind, darker than any of them before, and a place Bucky didn’t want to go at all. “I promise.”

“I hold you to it,” Nat replied before taking a bite of her pancakes. Bucky didn’t say anything, but once again he marveled about how wrong people were about the redhead. Sure, due to her spy training, she was able to keep her cool in most situations, but Bucky knew better. Knew her better. Knew that she was probably one of the most compassionate, empathic people on this whole planet. Nat’s real superpower was that she could contain it inside.

“You know,” he finally spoke up, after a few moments of rather enjoyable silence between them, “what we could do today?”

“No, but I’m sure you’re gonna tell me in a few,” Nat quipped back, her mood apparently improved.

“You bet I do,” he replied with a full blown smile, one of the many small miracles Nat was privy to see, given his tragic and violent past. “When I went for the keys at the Tower, Pepper told me something.”

“It’s funny how much trust Tony still has in her, despite their failed romance,” Natasha threw in, surrendering what was left in the small milk jug to their pet companions. “So, what did she tell you?”

“You know the path that’s leading down to the small lake?” Nat nodded, remembering that special place of utter tranquility from the first few weeks of her latest recovery in Summer. “Apparently, if you follow it to the other side of the lake, you find a place with the most stunning view of the whole area. I thought we could check it out, see if it holds up to the rumors.”

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Pepper over the years, it’s that she doesn’t spread rumors at all,” Nat told him with a laugh.

*********************

Half an hour later, they were ready to head out. Alpine and Liho were fed and petted to their utter content, and now they were curled up in their large bed near the fireplace.

Stepping out of the large cabin, Natasha took a deep breath of the cold Winter air. And despite being raised in the harsh Russian winters, she couldn’t help but shiver a bit with cold once the frosty air managed to creep under all the layers of clothing she had put on.

“You’re cold?” Bucky asked, not appearing to have the same problem.

Nat only nodded, feeling a blush creeping up her neck.

“Hold on, doll, weren’t you raised in Russia? Where it’s, as we both know, colder than anywhere else on this planet?”

“Yeah,” she finally admitted, “but apparently I’ve been living here long enough to soften my body in that way.”

“Well,” Bucky said with an audible smile, “good thing you have me at your side then.” For emphasis, he threw his flesh arm around her shoulders, pulling her close into his side. “I keep you warm, Natalia.”

“My hero,” she deadpanned, causing him to snort in reply.

At long last, they began the treck down to the lake, and in no time, they were standing at the bank of it. Part of the lake was frozen, and at the far end of it, they could see two red-brown squirrels hurrying over the ice, both of them carrying nuts, finishing their preparations for the winter.

After a few moments of taking in the scenery, Nat and Bucky continued on their way, and true to Pepper’s intel, they found the path leading away from the lake on the other side. Leading through a short, narrow gorge, it suddenly opened up to a view neither of them actually had words for it, to even attempt to describe the sheer beauty they were experiencing.

It was as if the whole Catskill Mountains were in front of them, the soft hills and valleys all covered with a pure white blanket, giving the whole landscape a special, magical touch. And thanks to the bright sunshine from above, it seemed as if every tree, every bush, pretty much everything was covered in thousands of small diamonds as well.

“Pepper didn’t lie,” Nat spoke up, awe evident in her voice.

“Nope, not at all. Good grief, this is such a stunning place,” Bucky added before fishing his cellphone out of one of the many pockets of his coat. “I have to take a few pics…”

“For Steve?” Nat asked. Ever since he had handed both the shield and the mantle to Sam, the former Captain America had taken up his old hobby of drawing again.

“Yup, but also for us, as a reminder that this world has a beauty to it, even if we can’t see it in certain situations.”

“Never thought I would hear you being this philosophical, Barnes,” Nat quipped, a smile tugging at her lips.

“Well,” he replied while turning back to her, “what can I say, Ms. Romanov? I’m a man full of surprises.”

“I had a hunch or two about that,” she said, stepping close to him, “and I wonder what other surprises are hidden in there.” She tapped him lightly in the chest.

“A lot,” Bucky began, pulling her even closer, “and once we’re back at the cabin, I gladly let you see one or two of them.”

*********************

Despite Bucky’s promise, they took their time heading back to the cabin, stopping here and there for a quick break (which Bucky used to steal a kiss from her as well). Once they were closing in on their temporary accomodations, Bucky grabbed the axe, filling up the stash of firewood next to the back door.

Nat, on the other hand, went back in, and after getting out of her outdoor gear and tending to the cats, she headed into the spacious kitchen, fixing them a cup of hot cocoa.

A little while later, they were sitting next to each other near the fireplace in the living room, watching the antics of their cats. Or, more precisely, Liho’s attempts at taunting Alpine into whatever mischief the black cat had in mind. But so far, the white Persian didn’t budge at all, keeping her stoic posture up, much to their amusement.

“Alpine doesn’t take shit from anyone, right?” Nat spoke up.

“Nope, and I’m proud of my girl for that,” Bucky replied, the pride he mentioned evident in his voice.

“Just like you,” Nat added, draining her cup and placing it on the small coffee table. “You know, back when we encountered you in Washington,” Bucky cringed at the memories, “I was the one who told Steve that he should forget about looking for you. I knew what they did to you, basically, so I never expected you to snap out of it, to put up a fight to get your old personality back.”

“Let me guess: now you’re glad he’s such a stubborn Irish at his core, right?”

“Yup, otherwise I wouldn’t have had the chance to be this happy.” Nat grabbed his flesh hand, linking her fingers with his. “Despite all the bad things that have happened in our pasts, you keep seeing the good in people, in me, and that’s what in turn keeps me going, keeps me pushing forward.”

“Aw, doll,” Bucky said while pulling her close, tucking her head under his chin. “Funny enough, I was thinking the same about you.” He pulled back, grabbing her face with both hands. “Call me a sap or whatever, but no matter how hard life tries to test me, you’re my guiding light through it. And i actually don’t know which deity considered me worthy of your love, after everything bad I’ve done, but I’ll be forever in their debt for that.”

*********************

A new day dawned, a very important one for Bucky. Today was Christmas Eve, and if everything went by plan, he would drop a certain question underneath the Christmas tree, along with a stunning piece of jewelry.

“Good morning,” a voice called out while his favorite pair of arms snuck around his waist from behind.

“Good morning to you too, doll,” Bucky replied, pausing his breakfast preparations for placing a quick kiss to her lips. “Breakfast should be ready in ten.”

“Okay, I’ll grab a quick shower then,” Nat said before pressing a light kiss to his flesh arm. “Unless you wanna join me,” she added with a wink.

“Nah. If I do that, we might lose Tony’s good graces.”

“Because we burn down the house?”

“Yup, and I’m not willing to test that theory in real life.”

Holding his breath, Bucky waited until he heard the bathroom door close before dashing into the bedroom and retrieving the small, squared, blue velvet box that, more or less, contained his future.

They spent the day inside, as it was cloudy and grey outside, placing and receiving phone and video calls to and from the extended Avengers family, exchanging stories and of course Holiday greetings.

Being the better, more experienced cook out of them two, Bucky also spent a fair amount of time in the kitchen, preparing their dinner in several steps. Natasha, along with Liho and Alpine, tried to help, but pretty soon, Bucky “banned” them all from the kitchen, forcing them to retreat to the living room. Which Natasha used to finish off the decorations around the room.

By the time dinner was ready to be served, the weather outside had taken a turn to the bad, with thick flakes falling down from the skies. They couldn’t see a lot by now, as it was too dark already, but both Bucky and Natasha knew that come morning, the whole area surrounding the cabin would be even more covered in snow than it already was.

“This is delicious,” Natasha exclaimed upon taking her first bite of the pot roast. “I mean,” she continued after swallowing, “I already know that there’s a five-star chef hidden underneath that scruffy exterior, but I never thought you could pull that,” she made a gesture with the hand holding the fork toward all the food on the table, “all off.”

“Thank you, dear lady, for the compliment. It’s an old recipe Becca had kept from our mom, and one of the first memories that came back to me after… you know,” Bucky explained, his voice slightly breaking at the end. Even now, talking about his extremely extended stint at the mercy of HYDRA was hard for him, especially when it came to the repeated brainwashing.

“It’s okay, Yasha, you don’t have to go down this lane, not today,” Natasha reassured him. “Let’s finish up here, so we can keep an eye on both our cats and the tree.”

*********************

About an hour later, they were snuggled up on the couch, covered with one of the many blankets Tony kept around the cabin. Alpine and Liho were part of that special burrito, lying right in front of them, their backs touching with both Bucky and Natasha’s thighs.

All in all, the perfect ending to a perfect Christmas Eve.

Well, not quite.

Cautiously, Bucky detangled himself from the only pack he ever wanted to be part of and made his way over to the Christmas Tree.

“What you’re doing?” Nat asked, a bit of sleep already lacing her voice.

“I know, it’s tradition to open presents in the morning, but I just can’t wait any longer.”

Apparently, his choice of words triggered an alarm in Nat’s brain. She sat up straight, causing both cats to hiss at her for disturbing them.

“Bucky, are you okay?”

“Yeah, of course, never been better, doll,” he replied, coming back to the couch. “I’m just a tad nervous, for what I’m about to do.”

“I assume you’ve never done this before?” Nat asked, the worry in her voice slowly ebbing away.

“Never found someone worth of considering it. Not until you, Natalia.”

“Doing what?”

“This,” Bucky answered while dropping to his knee. “I know, you had this mantra of ‘love is for children’, but ever since I came back as me and we rekindled what we once had, I like to believe that you dropped that one.”

“I did, thanks to you.”

“And God knows I’m far from perfect, but having you here, at my side, at any time of the day, makes me feel a tad more perfect. So,” he shifted the box from the metal to his flesh hand behind his back, “I was wondering if you could imagine being Mrs. Barnes at some point…”

Bucky didn’t get to finish his sentence, because Natasha suddenly grabbed his shoulders, pulled him close to her and kissed him with all her might. A ferocity that Bucky loved the most on “his” redhead.

At some point, though, breathing became a matter, and so they pulled apart, but only far enough to lock gazes.

“So… does that mean you say yes?”

“Hell, yes, Barnes.” Nat held out her left hand. “Make me yours, Yasha.”

“You already are, doll, but your wish is my command.” He pulled the ring out of the box and placed it on her ring finger before pressing a featherlight kiss to her knuckles. “Thank you.”

“What for?” Nat asked while pulling the hand up to her face, intent on inspecting her new jewelry.

“For saying yes. For being you. For helping me recover what I thought was lost forever. For putting up with me _and_ Alpine, and a gazillion other things that I can’t think of right now.”

“Yasha, this is beautiful,” Nat said with a nod at the ring, “and so absolutely fitting for us.”

It truly was. The ring itself was made of silver, holding a heart-shaped ruby that was surrounded by light blue and white gemstones.

At long last, the newly engaged couple relocated to the bedroom, the first ideas for a wedding already blossoming in their minds.

*********************

The End

*********************

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt used:
> 
> "Cuddling with the cats in a Christmas Way."


End file.
